


crashing into the ground

by xlightless



Category: B.A.P
Genre: Alternate Universe - Rock Band, Awkward Flirting, Car Chases, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-09
Updated: 2016-09-09
Packaged: 2018-08-14 03:22:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,874
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7996792
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/xlightless/pseuds/xlightless
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>On the way to an indie rock show, Daehyun sees a cute guy with hair the color of a sunset riding a motorcycle, and he’s too proud to admit that he fell a little too hard for Mysterious Tangerine Boy.</p>
            </blockquote>





	crashing into the ground

“You ready to go?” Himchan asks. He stares into the mirror, lining his eyes with black kohl, then running a finger over it to smudge it out. When he turns around, he frowns. “Daehyun, that isn’t exactly…what I was thinking.”

 

Daehyun looks down at his clothes––a black hoodie over a plain graphic t-shirt and a pair of light blue jeans––and shrugs. “What’s wrong with it?”

“Go into my bedroom and borrow my black jeans, flannel, and white v-neck,” Himchan only says. He turns around again and begins lining his other eye. “I’ll help you as soon as I’m finished with this.”

Daehyun gets off the couch and shuffles into Himchan’s room.

“What’s up, sluts?!” a voice exclaims as the front door opens. Daehyun stops mid-step and sees Jongup kick the door closed. “Are you ready for the show tonight?”

“Prep Boy here needs to change,” Himchan says, smudging the eyeliner. 

Jongup faces Daehyun, looking him over a couple times before snickering. He takes Daehyun’s shoulder and guides him to Himchan’s closet. “Holy shit, Daehyun, we’re not going to an LAN party. Take that shit _off_. Himchan, I’m raiding your closet.”

“I already told him to wear my jeans and flannel,” Himchan replies. “Hurry up, though. We don’t have all night.”

“It takes you ten minutes _at least_ to get the perfect amount of pretentious smudge on your eyeliner,” Jongup snorts. He goes through a pile of black clothes on Himchan’s bed, throwing shirts and pants and socks in the air. “By the time we get there, the concert will be done.”

Daehyun stands behind Jongup, trying not to get hit.

“Don’t be fucking rude,” Himchan says.

“Anyway,” Jongup holds a pair of ripped black jeans and a red flannel against Daehyun’s frame and throws it at him, “put these on and maybe you won’t stick out as much.”

“Gee, thanks.” Daehyun takes the clothes into his arms.

//

They all pile into Daehyun’s car twenty minutes later. It would have been earlier if Daehyun stopped fussing over the eyeliner. Either way, they’re in the car and on their way to the concert.

“Ugh, this eyeliner is bugging the hell outta me,” Daehyun mutters, blinking and scrunching his eyes occasionally. “How do you wear this all the time?”

Himchan shrugs. “I got used to it.”

Daehyun just wants to rub his eyes, but he’s driving and he knows his eyes will only feel worse. He pulls into an intersection. “So, where to first?”

“Roadtrip snacks, then the concert,” Jongup says, leaning forward and pressing himself into the place between Daehyun and Himchan’s seats. “Also energy drinks. I recommend Red Bull.”

Himchan’s face twists in disgust. “Red Bull tastes like _shit_.”

Daehyun glances back as he crosses through the intersection. “Jongup, put your fucking seatbelt on!”

“Yeah, okay, _Dad_ ,” Jongup says, sitting back and clicking the seatbelt on. “Anyway, snacks and drinks.”

Daehyun pulls into a 24/7 convenience store parking lot. Himchan and Jongup clamor out, still arguing over the quality of Red Bull. There isn’t another car in the parking lot, only a single motorcycle.

“Look, all I’m saying is it doesn’t matter how it _tastes_ ,” Jongup says, pushing through the door. “It’s how much _energy_ it gives you.”

Himchan snorts. “So you admit that it tastes bad?”

Jongup heads to the snack aisle. “Wha–– No! Stop twisting my words!”

Daehyun lags behind them, eyes still bothered by the eyeliner. He blinks, and suddenly, there’s a guy with hair as bright as a Hawaiian sunset holding a coffee in his hand. He has several piercings on his ears and one on his bottom lip. He walks to the counter on the other side of the store and dumps three packs of sugar into it.

Daehyun is frozen in place.

Maybe he sees everything through a rosy tint, but he won’t admit that so easily.

“Daehyun, what do you want?” Jongup asks, but Daehyun doesn’t hear him. Jongup walks up beside Daehyun. “Dae–– _Oh_.”

“What’s going on?” Himchan asks, holding a bag of chips. He follows Jongup and Daehyun’s gazes to the guy with the coffee. “Daehyun… Are you going to go talk to him?”

Daehyun turns to Himchan, surprise and panic igniting in his nerves. It’s making him jumpy. There’s no way he’d be able to talk to someone as _cool_ as that.

“What? No, I–– W-what would I even say?” Daehyun stutters.

“Ask him how he got his hair to look like a tangerine,” Jongup replies with a snicker.

Daehyun takes a deep breath. He might as well. What does he have to lose tonight? He gathers what small amount of courage he has and walks to the counter.

In the time that it takes to walk to the other side of the store, Daehyun has so many regrets bouncing through his mind. His heart pounds in his chest. He takes another deep breath.

And then he’s standing beside the guy. He pours creamer into his styrofoam cup until the drink looks more cream than coffee. 

Daehyun gulps. His thoughts race a thousand miles a second. He can feel Himchan and Jongup’s eyes bore into him. The guy takes a thin red straw to mix the whole thing. Daehyun swears he can hear the sugar granules scraping the bottom of the cup. He reaches up for his own styrofoam cup.

Daehyun misjudges the distance and knocks the entire tower down. He flails a little, trying to catch at least _something_ , but it all tumbles to the floor. The guy looks down, then at Daehyun, gives him a small smile, and walks out the door.

Himchan and Jongup come up to Daehyun, laughing their asses off. Daehyun can feel his entire being burn up. He’d like to sink into the ground now and never come back up.

Turns out he has one thing to lose tonight. His dignity.

“Wow, you are the _best_ at socializing,” Jongup says, slinging an arm over Daehyun’s neck.

“Leave me alone to die,” Daehyun mutters. 

“You’ll feel better after you get some caffeine in you,” Himchan says. He holds a can of Rockstar up to Daehyun.

“You say Red Bull tastes like shit, but Rockstar isn’t any better!” Jongup exclaims.

“I never said I liked the taste of Rockstar,” Himchan counters. “It’s how much _energy_ it gives you.”

//

The concert venue, which is in the basement of some dingy club, is in the next city over. The next city over is about a forty-five minute drive. At the speed that Daehyun is going, they’ll be there in thirty. It’s an empty stretch of highway around this time of night.

“So, about Mysterious Tangerine Boy,”Jongup says, leaning forward again.

“Jongup, your seatbelt better be on,” Daehyun says. He doesn’t want to talk about the single most embarrassing thing to happen to him this year.

Jongup rolls his eyes, but he buckles in. 

“He was pretty cute,” Himchan adds, pushing Daehyun’s shoulder. “Although your introduction could use some improvment.”

Daehyun pulls to a stop light. He grips the steering wheel tight enough to make his arms tremble. “I could have talked to him, alright? It was just…bad timing, is all.”

“Well, what if I told you that now is a good time?” Jongup asks. “Look out your window.”

Daehyun looks out to find Mysterious Tangerine Boy on a motorcycle beside them. He focuses straight ahead, gulping a huge lump in his throat.

“Oh my god, he’s right there. You gotta do something!” Himchan exclaims, hitting Daehyun’s shoulder.

Daehyun turns to Himchan, that familiar panic beginning to flood into his system. “Like what?!”

“Just… Shoot him a look,” Jongup suggests. “No talking, no other interactions. Start out small. We saw what happened when you tried _talking_. I’d like to be alive after tonight, thanks.”

Daehyun grumbles something like “it was just a stack of cups” under his breath, but Himchan and Jongup aren’t listening to him.

“Okay, okay, I’ll tell you when to look,” Himchan says. He narrows his eyes, his expression turning into something too focused to make Daehyun feel comfortable. The concentration seems to last an eternity, until–– “Now!”

Daehyun whips his head around to find Mysterious Tangerine Boy eyeing him from the side. He smiles, then speeds off.

Daehyun stares at the red taillights as they fade in the distance.

“What the hell are you doing?! The light’s green! Go after him!” Himchan shouts, shoving Daehyun’s shoulder.

Daehyun slams his foot on the gas so hard, he hears the tires squeal on the pavement. His vision blurs into a stream of dark blue and illuminated pavement. The white lane markers whizz by beneath the car. 

“Hey, there he is!” Jongup exclaims, pointing at the speck of motorcycle headlights in the distance. If Daehyun squints, he thinks he can see the shine of that sunset hair peeking out from under the helmet. “Floor it!”

The light ahead of them turns yellow. Mysterious Tangerine Boy speeds past the light, but it turns red before Daehyun even reach it. He slams on the brakes, throwing them all forward, and it feels like his whole life was just put on hold. He stares up at the light and lets out a sigh.

“There he goes,” Himchan says.

“Hey, what if he’s going to the same show as us?” Jongup asks.

Himchan scoffs. “A guy _that_ cool? Doubt it. Well, it was fun while it lasted, wasn’t it?”

Daehyun continues staring at the light, chewing on his bottom lip. One chance. His last chance. Is there going to be another time he’s going to do something completely reckless after college? Probably not.

Daehyun hits the gas again, throwing Himchan and Jongup into their seats. He narrowly avoids a car crossing through the intersection. He hears a horn honk behind him.

“D-Daehyun?!” Jongup exclaims. “What the _fuck_ are you doing?!”

“Taking a chance!” Daehyun replies.

“This isn’t taking a chance! This is breaking the law!” Jongup shouts back.

Himchan only laughs and turns up the radio.

“Himchan, you aren’t helping!”

Daehyun’s heart pounds in his chest to the beat of the music, turning everything else into a dull ring. He feels a smile curl on his lips. He can see the motorcycle headlights again. He feels like he’s on top of the world. He laughs because this is so ridiculous and he’s getting _fucking_ _delirious._

Until red and blue lights begin flashing behind them and a siren rings out.

“Dude, you gotta pull over,” Jongup says, glancing behind him.

Daehyun glances in the rearview mirror. It’s too much for him right now. He looks at Mysterious Tangerine Boy just a couple yards ahead of him, then at the police car behind him. In the two seconds it takes him to consider his choices, he can feel his gut churn.

“Fuck it!” Daehyun shouts. He shifts into a lower gear as his car appraches a hill and steps on the gas.

“Daehyun!” Jongup shouts. “Christ, are we really doing this?! Pull over! I don’t want to go to jail!”

“No! Keep going!” Himchan counters.

When Daehyun drives over the top of the hill, his car goes airborne. The world slows down as they come off the asphalt. He turns his head and sees Mysterious Tangerine Boy looking up at them with something a bit like surprise and a lot like awe.

Daehyun grins and shoots him a wink.

The car hits the ground. Daehyun grunts and shifts gears. 

“Fuck! Ow!” Jongup exclaims.

“Aren’t you glad you wore a seatbelt?!” Daehyun says. His eyes scan for an exit. As much fun as he’s having right now, he can’t keep this up forever. He spots a town sign to the right, tall and wide enough to hide his dinky Volkswagen. “Hold on!”

Daehyun hits the brakes, spinning the car onto its side, backs into the spot behind the sign, and shuts off the engine and headlights. He clicks off the radio, and they wait in tense silence.

They hear the police car speed past. The sirens blare, but they eventually fade. They wait another couple moments. Daehyun’s ears ring. He lets go of the steering wheel with a sigh and leans back in his seat.

“Holy _shit!”_ Himchan exclaims. He’s practically bouncing in his seat. “We just escaped the police! I didn’t know you had it in you!”

“I almost had a heart attack,” Jongup whispers. “Promise me we’re never doing that again.”

“I promise,” Daehyun whispers. He draws in a deep breath and starts the engine. It clicks pathetically in response. He frowns.

“What’s wrong?” Himchan asks, his giddy smile slipping.

“I think… I think it’s out of gas,” Daehyun replies. He tries again. The engine keeps clicking. His world suddenly comes crashing down reality. “Why did I even do this? All _this_ just to chase some guy into the night? What was I even going to _do_ if I actually faced him again? We were supposed to go to a _concert_.” Daehyun rests his head on the steering wheel with a groan. “I’m sorry, guys.”

“Are you fucking _kidding_ me right now?” Himchan asks. Daehyun turns his head to look at him. “We just escaped the cops! This is the most fun I’ve had since college! God, man, I don’t think I’ve laughed that hard in a while.”

Jongup leans into the space between the two seats. “Look, I know I said to pull over, but what you did was _pretty_ impressive.”

Daehyun tries to smile because even though he feels pretty shitty right now, he appreciates how his friends are trying to comfort him. “Alright, let’s go find a gas station.”

They walk for fifteen minutes along the side of the highway, but there doesn’t seem to be anything around them.

Jongup suddenly stops. He perks his head up. “Hey, do you hear that?”

“Hear what?” Himchan asks, furrowing his eyebrows.

Daehyun stops and strains to listen for anything in the wind. He hears faint drum beats and bass lines. “Is that…?”

Jongup pushes through the bushes. Daehyun glances at Himchan, only to find him looking back at him. They both shrug and follow behind Jongup. On the other side, they find the club, the only building in the vicinity with lights pulsing and flashing. Daehyun can hear the music from the windows in the building.

“That’s it!” Himchan exclaims. He begins to cross the street to the club. “Let’s go!”

“What, we’re just going to walk in?” Jongup asks, following Himchan. “Don’t they, like, close the doors after it starts?”

Himchan snorts. “Don’t underestimate my social circle.”

Daehyun trails behind the both of them, excitement beginning to bubble up inside him again. 

Two minutes later, they get past the bouncer and end up in the middle of the pit. Daehyun is still amazed how Himchan managed to make _some_ connection to the bouncer, but it’s like he said earlier. The circumference of his social circle is gigantic.

But that isn’t what Daehyun is focused on. His eyes are glued on the band’s bassist. It’s _Mysterious Tangerine Boy_.

Maybe Daehyun’s breath hitches a little in his throat. Maybe Daehyun’s a little starstruck.

Mysterious Tangerine Boy scans the crowd, but his eyes stop on Daehyun. He grins.

Maybe Daehyun’s a little in love.

//

When the show ends, Himchan nudges Daehyun. “So, are you going to talk to him?”

“What?” Daehyun asks.

Jongup snickers, flanking Daehyun’s other side. “Don’t think we didn’t notice him making those bedroom eyes at you.”

Daehyun swats Himchan and Jongup away. “ _Fine_ , I’ll go talk to him.”

Himchan whoops. Jongup slaps Daehyun’s back. Daehyun grunts as the middle of his back stings.

Daehyun gathers his courage––it’s a lot more than when he was in the convenience store––and walks up to Mysterious Tangerine Boy. He cases his guitar, then wipes a bit of sweat from his brow. He runs his hand his hair, and some tufts stick up.

“Hi,” Daehyun says with a smile.

Mysterious Tangerine Boy looks up from his guitar and returns the smile. “Hey, I see you escaped the cops.”

Daehyun laughs. “It wasn’t… _that_ impressive.”

“Oh, modest, aren’t you?” Mysterious Tangerine Boy asks, but he laughs with Daehyun. He zips up his case and slings it along his back. “Did you enjoy the show?”

“Yeah, it was great!” Daehyun replies with a nod.

Mysterious Tangerine Boy smiles. He looks like he’s about to say something else, but someone calls him from backstage. He glances behind him, then back at Daehyun.

“Give me your hand,” Mysterious Tangerine Boy says. He digs into his pocket and pulls out a pen.

Daehyun furrows his eyebrows, but he holds his hand out anyway. He tries not to jump at the way Mysterious Tangerine Boy takes his hand, warm but lined with callouses. His fingers twitch as the pen presses into his palm. Daehyun isn’t even looking at what he’s writing. He’s too entranced by the way Mysterious Tangerine Boy’s eyelashes flutter and glimmer beneath the lights. 

Mysterious Tangerine Boy clicks the pen and smiles at Daehyun. “Call me sometime.”

He winks, then turns around and heads backstage.

Daehyun looks down at his hand. In a messy scrawl is a phone number and a name. He smiles.

_Youngjae._

**Author's Note:**

> if this looks familiar, it is.


End file.
